Pathanamthitta: Konni get body of Sri Lankan woman

Pathanamthitta: A Konni family was shocked on Thursday to find the body of a Sri Lankan woman in the coffin just before the burial of their son who died in Saudi Arabia.

They were expecting remains of Rafeeq, 27, who died of a heart attack, but it was the corpse of the 50-year-old that arrived at the Cochin airport on Wednesday evening with his tag. Rafeeq of Kummannoor in Konni died at his accommodation in Abha on February 28, and the body arrived after a long wait of three weeks following legal proceedings.

Upon receiving the coffin, the family kept it at a mosque in Kummannoor. They realised the mix-up only when it was taken out for burial the next morning. They suspect that it happened during the embalming or it was just a clerical mistake crept in at the cargo section during the transport.

The coffin numbered 32 was received by the family instead of 35, which contained remains of Rafeeq, a house driver.

The family filed a petition with the police and the Indian embassy in the kingdom seeking his body.

Rafeeq leaves his mother Fathima, wife Surumi Mol, and 4-year-old son, Rayhan.